


Extremely Human Predicament

by rhps_brad_fan



Category: Charmed (TV 1998)
Genre: Gen, Trapped In Elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:47:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29127459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhps_brad_fan/pseuds/rhps_brad_fan
Summary: Cole finds himself rather stuck.
Relationships: Phoebe Halliwell/Cole Turner
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3
Collections: /r/FanFiction Prompt Challenge #21 / January 2021





	Extremely Human Predicament

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Reddit fanfiction subreddit's January prompt challenge - nonlinear narrative and the random words "stop", "extreme" and "shaft".

The cables creaked and groaned as the old elevator moved down the equally old shaft. The cacophony of metal on metal made him wince as the elevator came to a grinding stop. It was so abrupt that Cole nearly slammed to the floor, stopping himself at the last second by holding tightly to the handrail attached to the wall. The electricity flickered in the elevator before the lights went out completely, leaving him shrouded in darkness. 

It wouldn't have been a problem only a week ago. A week ago, he could have created an energy ball to illuminate the small space. A week ago, he could have even shimmered himself safely out of the elevator, but not now. He'd been struggling with becoming a mortal man ever since his demonic half had been vanquished and it seemed that perhaps this was going to be the ultimate test. He assumed that this was the result of either a mechanical failure or human error… possibly both. If it were something demonic at play, they wouldn't need to make use of an elevator to make his demise look like an accident. He was completely defenseless without his powers. Belthazor was now long gone and only the human Cole Turner remained. This was just one more thing he needed to figure out, along with who he was now. He wasn't sure which was going to be the more difficult challenge.

"I'm going out," Cole told Phoebe as he leaned over to kiss her goodbye. She was still in bed, tangled up in the covers as she tried to sleep in a little while longer. Cole felt like he couldn't wait. Ever since half of him had been vanquished he felt like he was running out of time. Maybe it was the sudden realization that he was finally fully mortal that was kicking him into high gear or maybe it was some more human instinct taking over after years of being so suppressed. He didn't know, but he knew he wasn't going to waste another moment. 

Phoebe pressed a kiss to his lips and she glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "Cole, come back to bed. It's early. Where are you even going this early?" Phoebe asked groggily. She had always been more of a night owl rather than a morning person. 

"A few places. You know that I'm trying to figure out who I am now… where I fit in in the world. I just thought I'd get an early start," Cole explained. He had a few places to go to on his to-do list, but he hadn't really finalized any plans for the day. 

"It's practically still dark out," Phoebe reminded him. "You can't find yourself if it's still dark out. Come back to bed," She tempted, putting a hand on his arm. 

Cole glanced around the elevator as his vision adjusted to the darkness. "Phoebe was right. I should have stayed in bed," He muttered to himself as he began to assess the situation he found himself in. He straightened up, daring to move away from the wall of the elevator towards the doors. He had been in an old branch of the local library, having been the first patron there when they opened. He had wanted to do some research on both alternate career routes and on his family history - the human side, of course. It had been that quest that had led him to the long forgotten corner of the library and into the faulty elevator in the first place. There were no emergency lights on in the small elevator, but he wasn't sure if it was due to a power outage or if the elevator was simply too old to have any installed. His hands brushed against the panels, looking for a switch or latch that would open up to call for emergency services, but there were none that he could find - at least not by touch. Another idea struck him and he began to search his pockets, patting down his jacket until he found where he'd stashed his cell phone. Of course the screen showed both low battery and no signal. He'd forgotten to put it on charge the night before. He was sure that the elevator was interfering with the signal as well. 

He tried to use what little light the display provided to try to find some sort of solution but there were no panels in place. Obviously the building wasn't up to code and when he got himself out of there, he was going to raise hell with the city about the unsafe conditions. Still, he needed to actually get out first in order to right that wrong.

Calling out for help crossed his mind, but he knew it would likely be a futile effort. The area of the library he was in was too far from the main circulation desk to be heard and there was only one librarian on duty that he'd seen. He briefly thought about calling out for Leo, but aside from the fact that it would have been embarrassing, he knew with a century's worth of evil working against him would prevent Leo from ever hearing that call. He wasn't one of Leo's charges, after all.

He glanced up at the ceiling of the elevator, debating whether or not to try to find a hatch to open to climb up the shaft. He really had never done anything like it before, having never had the need and the thought of starting now turned his stomach. He wasn't so much afraid of heights, but the thought of plummeting to his death in a dusty old elevator shaft just didn't seem like a fitting end for someone that had lived as long as he had. It seemed more like something that would show up on one of those soap operas he knew Piper liked to watch. 

After a while, he thought maybe he might have been overreacting. Someone would surely come for him and the need to try to pry open the doors or the hatch wouldn't come to pass. After a while longer, he was getting restless and a little claustrophobic. He paced the small stretch of space. He may not have known where he fit in the world now, but he knew he wasn't someone to just sit around and wait to get rescued. He reached up, touching the ceiling and feeling for a hatch. He'd save himself.

Phoebe reached out again for him, trying to get him to stay a while longer. 

"I've really got to go," He told her apologetically as he pulled away from her. "I'll be back later."

"By lunch?" Phoebe asked him hopefully. 

He headed for the bedroom door. "I'll try."

Trying was the best he could do. Cole had opened the hatch and climbed up to see what he was working with. He wasn't the least bit versed in mechanics, but he had hoped that the elevator would at least be closer to the upper floor. He pulled out his cell phone again and noticed the battery was nearly completely drained and he still had no signal. He glanced up, trying to assess how far of a jump it would be between the nearest floor and the elevator, but he wasn't sure he could safely clear it. 

As he carefully moved a little closer to the edge, bright white lights illuminated the shaft, nearly blinding him. He shut his eyes against them and when he opened them, he was back in Halliwell Manor. 

"What just happened?" He asked, confused. 

"Leo just saved you from killing yourself in that elevator shaft," Phoebe said, rushing over and putting her arms around him. She was still clad in her pajamas. "It was a power outage. What the hell were you thinking?" 

"My elevator got stuck and I needed to get out," Cole explained simply.

"Why didn't you just use the little phone in the wall?" She asked him.

"There was no little phone in the wall," He told her. "I'm pretty sure that elevator was older than I am."

"Really? That's not up to code," Leo chimed in, still standing a few feet away from the couple. 

"Yeah, tell me about it," Cole said sarcastically. "Look, Phoebe how did you even know where to find me?"

"I had a premonition. I turned over in bed and when I grabbed your pillow, I saw you at the library and in the elevator and then I saw you slip and…" She trailed off, still holding onto him tight. 

"I'm sorry," Cole apologized with a sigh. He'd never meant to make her see something like that. 

"Just please don't scare me like that again, okay?" She asked of him. 

"I won't," He assured her. 

"Yeah. Next time, take the stairs," Leo suggested with a smirk as he was heading back up to join his wife in their bedroom.

"Next time, I think I'll just stay in bed," Cole told Phoebe. 

"Oh no, Mister. We're not going back to bed. You've got me up and full of adrenaline and-- you know what? On second thought, the bed does sound enticing," She mentioned. She took his hand and led the way up the stairs. Finding out who he was could wait. He already knew he was the kind of guy that couldn't say no to her. That was enough for one day.


End file.
